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GS Paper: GS1-14.Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,

  • India’s Support for Marine Protected Areas in Antarctica

    marine

    Central idea: India has pledged its continued support for the establishment of two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Antarctica, with the aim of protecting marine life and the ecosystem services that it provides.

    What are Marine Protected Areas?

    • An MPA is a defined region that is managed for the long-term conservation of marine resources, ecosystem services, or cultural heritage.
    • They can be established in national and international waters to preserve the biodiversity of the marine environment.

    Criteria used for MPAs declaration

    The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has developed a set of criteria for the identification and management of marine protected areas (MPAs). These criteria include:

    • Representativeness: MPAs should include a range of habitats, ecosystems, and species that are representative of the region.
    • Biological diversity: MPAs should conserve a wide range of biodiversity, including species, habitats, and genetic diversity.
    • Rarity: MPAs should protect rare, unique, or endemic species or habitats.
    • Productivity: MPAs should conserve areas of high productivity, such as spawning and nursery grounds.
    • Resilience: MPAs should protect ecosystems that are able to withstand disturbances and recover from damage.
    • Ecological processes: MPAs should conserve important ecological processes, such as nutrient cycling and migration patterns.
    • Connectivity: MPAs should be connected to other protected areas to allow for the movement of species and genetic material.
    • Cultural and social importance: MPAs should consider the cultural and social importance of the area to local communities.

    MPA in focus: Southern Ocean

    • The Southern Ocean, which encircles Antarctica, covers around 10 per cent of the global ocean and is home to nearly 10,000 unique polar species.
    • The ecosystem is an important source of marine resources, including fish and krill, which support commercial fisheries and provide a food source for larger animals.

    Threats to the Southern Ocean and its marine life

    marine

    • Climate change is affecting the Southern Ocean, altering habitats such as sea ice and the sheltered seafloor under ice shelves that are home to a variety of species.
    • Commercial fishing, particularly for krill (shrimp-like crustacean), is also threatening the ecosystem.

    Need for an MPA in Antarctica

    • The Southern Ocean needs protection to prevent the further impact of climate change and commercial exploitation.
    • A new MPA would help limit human activities, including fishing, mining, and drilling, and help conserve the region’s marine resources and unique biodiversity.

    Existing MPAs in the Southern Ocean

    • The Southern Ocean currently has two MPAs:
    1. In the southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands and
    2. In the Ross Sea
    • These MPAs protect only 5 percent of the ocean, with all types of fishing, other than scientific research, prohibited within the southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands MPA.

    Resistance to proposed MPAs  

    • Proposals to establish MPAs in East Antarctica, the Weddell Sea, and the waters surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula have been met with resistance by China and Russia.
    • The two countries have a different view than the rest of the members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which is an intergovernmental body set up in 1982 to conserve Antarctic marine life.

    India’s interest in the commercial exploitation of krill

    • India has expressed interest in commercial exploitation of krill in the region.
    • However, increased harvesting of krill threatens animals that feed on them, including fish, whales, seals, penguins, and other seabirds.

    Contribution of proposed MPAs to the United Nations 30×30 Framework

    • If the proposed MPAs take form in Antarctica, they will contribute to the United Nations 30×30 Framework, which aims to protect 30 percent of the world’s land and sea.
    • This agreement was reached at the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022.

    Conclusion

    • Most countries have agreed in principle to establish MPAs in Antarctica, and it is expected to be discussed further at the next Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.
    • The establishment of MPAs in Antarctica is crucial to preserving the region’s marine resources and unique biodiversity, and for contributing to the global

     

     

     

  • Climate Change: Mission Adaptation A Comprehensive Measure

    Central Idea

    • The budget for 2023-24 in India includes some measures towards climate change mitigation, but adaptation has not been given adequate attention. The government needs to adopt a Mission Adaptation to create a supportive ecosystem for all entities to come together and work towards developing locally-sound adaptation solutions.

    Climate Change Mitigation Measures

    • Allocation for green transition: The budget for 2023-24 in India has allocated funds towards climate change mitigation, with a focus on green growth initiatives targeted at reducing the carbon intensity of the economy such as green mobility, energy efficiency, and the green hydrogen mission announcement.
    • Promoting nature based initiatives: Nature-based solutions such as the mangrove plantation initiative and the community-based wetland conservation scheme also promise to have potentially positive impacts in mitigating climate change.

    Lack of Attention to Climate Change Adaptation

    • Climate change is addressed indirectly: While climate change mitigation has received attention in the budget, climate change adaptation has been addressed only indirectly.
    • No measures towards enhancing resilience: The budget does not include measures towards enhancing the resilience of communities and habitations to climate change’s impact, despite India’s high vulnerability to climate change.
    • For instance: Measures to account for climate change-induced risks, such as the recent example of Joshimath, do not find explicit mention in the budget.

    Funding for Adaptation

    • Adaptation has traditionally received far less attention than mitigation in the global climate discourse, resulting in lower funding for adaptation.
    • In India, the ratio of funding for climate adaptation to mitigation stands at 1:10. While funding for mitigation is also underfunded, with only 25% of the requirement met, the gap for adaptation stands much higher, at only 7.9% of the needed funds.

    Challenges in Funding Adaptation

    • Adapting to climate change often requires highly local and nature-based solutions that do not have a classically-measured ROI. Consequently, mainstream, interest-seeking capital flowing into adaptation is scant.
    • Climate adaptation has largely remained a publicly-funded endeavor in India, with nearly 100% of the funding for adaptation coming from public sources. International funding has also remained scarce due to the skewed discourse on climate change.

    The Need for a Strategic Investment

    • Climate shocks are anticipated to get more frequent and severe, and in the absence of resilience-building for communities and habitations, the impact could be devastating.
    • The public sector must view resilience building as a strategic priority and actively address this matter.
    • Climate adaptation must come to be seen as a strategic investment by the public sector, which it must make in order to climate-proof lives, livelihoods, the environment, and the economy.

    Mission Adaptation

    • Mission Adaptation is a term used in the context of climate change and refers to the need for a strategic, proactive approach to building adaptive capacity in order to climate-proof lives, livelihoods, the environment and the economy.
    • It is a proposed initiative for creating a supportive ecosystem for all entities, including the private sector, non-profits, and civil society, to come together and work towards developing and scaling up locally-sound adaptation solutions in India.
    • The idea is to view climate adaptation as a strategic investment by the public sector and to bridge complex challenges faced by society today using the idea of public purpose to guide policy and business activity.

    Conclusion

    • Given the increasing frequency at which climate-related stress is occurring and is expected to occur, the public sector will remain a crucial contributor to funding for climate adaptation. The government must work towards developing a more systemic understanding of resilience and support efforts aimed at building such an understanding across the ecosystem to make Mission Adaptation a reality.
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  • IPCC’s Synthesis Report: Urgent Action Needed For Climate-resilient Development

    Central Idea

    • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released the synthesis report of its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) cycle, which serves as a survival guide for humanity. The report highlights the urgent need for a climate-resilient development model that integrates adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable development for all.

    Key Takeaways from the AR6 Report

    • Human activity is driving global temperature rise, currently at 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, with an estimated trajectory of 2.8°C by 2100.
    • While the rate of emissions growth has slowed in the past decade, humanity is estimated to be on a 2.8° C (2.1°-3.4° C range) trajectory by 2100.
    • This temperature rise is causing widespread impacts on climatic systems, with greater risks at lower temperatures than previously assessed.
    • The IPCC report highlights that by 2019, humanity had already used up 80% of its carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5°C, with developed economies being the biggest contributors.
    • The report also notes that existing modelling studies, which are often used to assess emission trajectories, do not explicitly account for questions of equity.

    Major implications for limiting warming to 1.5°C rather than 2°C

    1. Carbon Budget and Temperature Targets:
    • The world’s carbon budget for 1.5°C is much lower than for 2°C. Global pathways show that limiting warming to 1.5°C requires a 43% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, while for 2°C it is 21%.
    • Even more concerning is that projected CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure already surpass the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C.
    • Striving for a 1.5° C target implies deep and immediate reductions in emissions in all sectors and regions, which makes more salient different national circumstances and questions of climate equity and operationalisation of the UNFCCC’s core principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities.
    1. Climate adaptation itself has limits:
    • The report highlights that adaptation itself has limits, which implies that some losses and damages of climate change are inevitable.
    • For example, the report finds that some coastal and polar ecosystems have already reached hard limits in their ability to adapt to a changing climate.

    Key message of the report

    • Climate-resilient development: Urgently adopting climate-resilient development a developmental model that integrates both adaptation and mitigation to advance sustainable development for all.
    • Green transition: The report assesses the plethora of technologies and design options, such as solar energy or electric vehicles, that can help countries reduce emissions or become more resilient today at low costs, and in a technically feasible manner.
    • Equity and social justice: Prioritising and addressing equity and social justice in transition processes are shown to be key to climate-resilient development.
    • Net-zero emissions: To achieve climate-resilient development, the world needs to reach net-zero emissions. This may depend on large-scale carbon dioxide removals, which are challenging to achieve.

    Progress and gaps in Climate Response

    • Some progress has been made in policies and laws, with the effectiveness of policy tools like carbon markets.
    • The report points out that there are gaps between modelled sustainable pathways and what countries have pledged (ambition gaps) as well as substantial gaps between what countries pledge and what they actually do (implementation gaps).

    Way ahead

    • Policy package: Policy packages that comprehensively address climate objectives can help countries meet short-term economic goals.
    • Investment: Delayed action risks locking-in to high carbon infrastructure in this decade, and creating stranded assets and financial instability in the medium term. Therefore, high upfront investments in clean infrastructure are imperative.
    • Financing needs to be increased manyfold: Despite sufficient global capital, both adaptation and mitigation financing need to increase many-fold, between three to six times for annual modelled mitigation investments, from 2020 to 2030.

    Conclusion

    • The IPCC AR6 synthesis report provides a blueprint for sustainable development and presents a sobering account of the present and future damages to ecosystems and vulnerable populations. It is crucial for governments and individuals worldwide to act urgently to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and pursue climate-resilient development.

     

     

  • Key takeaway of the IPCC Synthesis Report

    ipcc

    The IPCC Synthesis Report warns that the world is on track to breach the 1.5-degree Celsius global warming limit by the 2030s, which would cause irrevocable damage to the planet’s ecosystem and severely impact humans and other living beings.

    What is IPCC Synthesis Report?

    • The IPCC Synthesis Report is a summary report produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that presents key findings and policy recommendations from the group’s previous assessment reports.
    • It aims to provide policymakers with a concise overview of the current state of knowledge on climate change, its impacts, and options for mitigation and adaptation.
    • The Synthesis Report is released at the end of each assessment cycle, which typically takes six to seven years, and is approved by representatives from the IPCC’s member governments.

    Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

    • The IPCC, an intergovernmental body was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
    • It was later endorsed by the UN General Assembly. Membership is open to all members of the WMO and UN.
    • The IPCC produces reports that contribute to the work of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the main international treaty on climate change.

     

    Key highlights of the synthesis report

    • Climate extremes on rise: Due to the current global warming levels, almost every region across the planet is already experiencing climate extremes, an uptick in deaths due to heatwaves, reduced food and water security, and damage to ecosystems, causing mass extinction of species on land and in the ocean.
    • High vulnerability: More than three billion people live in areas that are “highly vulnerable” to climate change.
    • Boost up climate finance: The largest gaps in climate finance are in the developing world, but so too are the largest opportunities.

    Key concerns raised

    The report highlights the urgent need for-

    • Limiting the use of fossil fuels
    • Increasing finance to climate investments
    • Expanding the clean energy infrastructure,
    • Reducing nitrogen pollution from agriculture, curtail food waste, and
    • Adopting measures to make it easier for people to lead low-carbon lifestyles

    Conclusion

    • The report adds that there is still a chance to avert this mass-scale destruction, but it would require an enormous global effort to slash greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and completely phase them out by 2050.
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  • UNEP pitches for Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Infrastructure

    greenhouse

    Central idea: The article discusses the United Nations’ development of a new system for tracking greenhouse gas emissions.

    Greenhouse Gases

    • Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect.
    • Examples of greenhouse gases include-
    1. Water vapor (H2O)
    2. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
    3. Methane (CH4)
    4. Nitrous oxide (N2O)
    5. Fluorinated gases, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
    6. Ozone (O3)
    • The greenhouse effect is a natural process that occurs when certain gases in the atmosphere absorb and re-emit infrared radiation from the sun, trapping heat and keeping the planet warm enough to sustain life.
    • Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes have significantly increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to an enhanced greenhouse effect and causing global warming and climate change.

    Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Infrastructure

    • The new system, also known as the Common Global Standard for Sustainability, is being developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
    • It will provide a standardized framework for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions across various sectors, including agriculture, transport, and energy.

    Need for the new system

    • The current system for tracking greenhouse gas emissions is fragmented and lacks standardization, making it difficult to compare emissions across different sectors and countries.
    • The new system aims to address this issue by providing a standardized framework for measuring and reporting emissions.

    Benefits offered

    • The new system will provide a more accurate and comprehensive picture of greenhouse gas emissions across different sectors and countries.
    • It will enable policymakers and businesses to develop more effective strategies for reducing emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

    Challenges

    • The success of the new system will depend on the willingness of countries and businesses to adopt and implement it.
    • There may be resistance from some countries and businesses that are reluctant to disclose their emissions data or make changes to their current reporting practices.

     

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  • Climate Change: Role of International Courts

    Climate Change

    Central Idea

    • A group of 16 countries has launched a gallant effort to fight the problem of climate change an existential threat to human civilization at the United Nations (UN). Led by Vanuatu an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, the group seeks an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the issue of climate change.

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    What is International Court of Justice (ICJ)?

    • The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in 1945 and is located in The Hague, Netherlands.
    • It has the authority to settle legal disputes between states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, and other authorized UN bodies.
    • The ICJ is composed of 15 judges elected for nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
    • Its decisions are binding and final, and the court’s role is to settle legal disputes in accordance with international law.

    Climate Change

    ICJ has two types of jurisdictions: Contentious and Advisory

    • Contentious: Contentious jurisdiction refers to the ICJ’s authority to resolve legal disputes between consenting states. Decisions made under contentious jurisdiction are binding
    • Advisory:
    • Advisory jurisdiction allows the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Security Council (SC), and other specialized bodies of the organization to request the ICJ’s opinion on a legal question.
    • The ICJ’s advisory opinions are non-binding. However, they hold significant normative weight and serve to clarify international law on relevant issues.
    • The ICJ’s advisory opinion on climate change can be useful in climate-related litigation at the national level.

    Emergence of Vanuatu’s initiative

    • Failure to deliver concrete solutions to Climate Change: Notwithstanding the presence of several international legal instruments on climate change such as the UNFCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, the international community has fallen short of delivering concrete solutions to the problem of climate change.
    • COP-27 Fails to Resolve Differences: The recently concluded 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP-27) where countries failed to narrow their differences on critical issues such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Countries were unable to reach a consensus on meaningful action.
    • Vulnerability of Small Island Developing (SID) states:
    • SID states such as Vanuatu are most vulnerable to rising temperatures and sea levels.
    • Accordingly, in September 2021, Vanuatu launched an initiative, through the UNGA, to seek an advisory opinion from the ICJ to clarify the legal obligations of all countries to prevent and redress the adverse effects of climate change.
    • Since then, the initiative has gathered momentum with more than 100 countries backing the idea. Specifically, the draft resolution piloted by Vanuatu seeks answers to the following questions from the ICJ.

    The Legal questions

    1. What are the international law obligations of countries toward the protection of the climate system from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases for the present and future generations?
    • Answer: The ICJ will interpret existing climate change law and use customary international law to fill gaps, including the ‘no-harm’ (states are under an obligation that activities within their jurisdiction do not damage other countries) principle, to clarify the Paris Agreement.
    1. What are the legal consequences for states that have caused significant harm to the climate system, the SID states and other people of the present and future generations?
    • Answer: Demands for climate reparations are made as part of climate justice, where historically high-emitting rich countries compensate developing countries affected by climate change. The ICJ can provide legal principles for the ‘loss and damage’ fund.

    Confusion over loss and damage fund

    • Little clarity on funding: At COP-27, it was agreed to establish a loss and damage fund to financially assist vulnerable developing countries. However, there is little clarity on which countries will provide the funding.
    • Historical responsibility yet to be determined: Moreover, the connection between funding and the historical responsibility of developed countries in emissions is yet to be determined.

    Role of International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)

    • It is not just the ICJ whose advisory opinion is being sought: The Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, comprising countries like Antigua and Barbuda and Tuvalu, has sought the advisory opinion of the Hamburg-based ITLOS.
    • To determine obligations under UNCLOS: ITLOS has been asked to determine countries’ obligations under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea regarding marine pollution, which is linked to ocean warming, sea level rise, and acidification.

    Climate Change

    Conclusion

    • As part of a multi-pronged approach to saving our planet, one should welcome the role of international courts. Developed countries and groupings like the G-20 should support these laudable initiatives of the SID states. Environment and climate sustainability are important themes of G-20. India, as the president of the G-20, should take a lead given its relentless emphasis on LiFE (developing environment-friendly lifestyle) campaign.

    Mains Question

    Q. What is Loss and damage fund? Discuss the legal questions that Vanuatu seeks to clarify through the ICJ.

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  • Heatwaves in India: A Serious Concern

    Heatwave

    Central Idea

    • Heat waves have become a major concern for India this year. The scorching summer heat has started prematurely, as per the recent IMD reports. If the record temperatures of the recent past are any indication, the heat wave is likely to become more intense. Rising temperatures lead to several health problems, from dehydration and heat exhaustion to more severe conditions like heatstroke. They also affect the economy and the environment.

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    What is Heat wave?

    • A heatwave is a prolonged period of abnormally hot weather.
    • Heatwaves usually last for several days or weeks and can occur in both dry and humid climates. They are characterized by temperatures that are significantly higher than the average for a particular region during that time of year.
    • This is because climate change is causing a rise in global temperatures. As the planet heats up, it leads to more extreme weather events, such as heat waves. Its geography makes India particularly vulnerable to these events.

    Heatwaves in India

    • In India Heat waves typically occur from March to June, and in some rare cases, even extend till July.
    • On an average, five-six heat wave events occur every year over the northern parts of the country.
    • Single events can last weeks, occur consecutively, and can impact large population.
    • Its geography makes India particularly vulnerable to these events.

    Some of the hottest summers on record in recent years that India has experienced

    • In May 2016, Phalodi in Rajasthan registered 51 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature ever recorded in the country.
    • In 2021, India saw its hottest day on May 22, with the temperature touching 48 degrees Celsius in Barmer, also in Rajasthan.
    • In 2022, Jaipur experienced a severe heatwave. Rajasthan’s capital recorded 45 degrees Celsius in April a record for the city for the month.
    • Delhi, Agra, Pilani and Rohtak are among the well-known hot cities in India, where temperatures, of late, have gone up to 43 degrees Celsius in early summer

    Link: Climate change and Heat waves

    • Rising heat waves: Climate change is directly linked to the increase in the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves around the world.
    • More severe and more frequent: As the Earth’s climate continues to warm, heatwaves are becoming more severe and occurring more frequently.
    • Global warming: This is because global warming is causing changes in the atmosphere, such as increased greenhouse gas concentrations, which trap heat and cause temperatures to rise.
    • For instance: Climate change is also causing heatwaves to last longer. A study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters found that heatwaves are lasting an average of 2.5 days longer than they did in the middle of the 20th century.

    Heatwave

    The Socio-economic impact of heat waves

    1. Impact on Health: Heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, are becoming more common, particularly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and outdoor workers.
    • In addition, heat waves can exacerbate existing health problems, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
    1. Impact on the environment
    • One of the biggest problems is the depletion of water resources:
    • Water sources are drying up as temperatures rise, leading to crises in many parts of the country.
    • As people try to keep cool, they use more air conditioning, increasing electricity use. This leads to an increase in the use of fossil fuels, which significantly contributes to air pollution.
    1. Impact on agriculture:
    • Impact on environment in turn, leads to agricultural problems, with crops failing and farmers struggling to make a living.
    • Given that around 40 per cent of India’s population is engaged in agriculture, this is a significant concern.
    • Reports are already coming from Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh that the early heatwave has affected the growth of wheat crops and is expected to negatively affect the crop to the tune of 20 per cent.
    1. Impact on growth:
    • The healthcare costs associated with heat-related illnesses can be significant, particularly for vulnerable groups who may not have access to affordable healthcare.
    • In addition, heat waves can lead to a decrease in worker productivity, which can impact economic growth.

    Heatwave

    What can be done to deal with such problems?

    • Increase public awareness: People need to be educated about the impact of rising temperatures on their health, the environment, and the economy. This can be done through public campaigns, schools, and the media.
    • Increase the use of renewable energy: India has already made significant progress in this area. However, much remains to be done. The government could incentivise individuals and businesses to invest in renewable energy, such as solar panels. This would help reduce the impact of rising temperatures, create new jobs, and stimulate economic growth.
    • Improving water management: This could include introducing more efficient irrigation systems, better rainwater harvesting, and using recycled water for non-potable purposes. This would help to conserve water resources and reduce the impact of rising temperatures on agriculture.
    • Investing in infrastructure that can cope with extreme temperatures: This could include the construction of roads and buildings that are designed to withstand high temperatures, as well as the development of more efficient cooling systems that use less energy.

    Heatwave

    Conclusion

    • The rising heat wave in India is a serious concern that needs to be addressed urgently. The impacts of rising temperatures on human health, the environment, and the economy are significant. However, with the right strategies in place, it is possible to mitigate the impact of rising temperatures and ensure a sustainable future for the country.

    Mains Question

    Q. Climate change is exacerbating the problem of heat waves. In this backdrop discuss its socioeconomic impact and what measures can be done to tackle this problem?

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  • Heat Waves and the anatomy behind

    heat

    The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has already started sensing the first signs of heat waves for this summer season.

    What is the news?

    • The IMD warned that the maximum temperatures over northwest, west, and central India would be 3-5° C higher than the long-term average in this week.
    • If the heat waves had played out, they would have been the earliest these regions would have experienced this deadly phenomenon.

    What are Heat Waves?

    • Heatwaves generally occur over India between March and June.
    • IMD declares a heatwave event when the maximum (day) temperature for a location in the plains crosses 40 degrees Celsius.
    • Over the hills, the threshold temperature is 30 degrees Celsius.

    How are they formed?

    • Heatwaves form when high pressure aloft (3,000–7,600 metres) strengthens and remains over a region for several days up to several weeks.
    • This is common in summer (in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres) as the jet stream ‘follows the sun’.
    • On the equator side of the jet stream, in the upper layers of the atmosphere, is the high pressure area.
    • Summertime weather patterns are generally slower to change than in winter. As a result, this upper level high pressure also moves slowly.
    • Under high pressure, the air subsides (sinks) toward the surface, warming and drying adiabatically, inhibiting convection and preventing the formation of clouds.
    • Reduction of clouds increases shortwave radiation reaching the surface.
    • A low pressure at the surface leads to surface wind from lower latitudes that brings warm air, enhancing the warming.
    • Alternatively, the surface winds could blow from the hot continental interior towards the coastal zone, leading to heat waves.

    Following criteria are used to declare heatwave:

    To declare heatwave, the below criteria should be met at least in 2 stations in a Meteorological subdivision for at least two consecutive days and it will be declared on the second day.

    (a) Based on Departure from Normal

    • Heat Wave: Departure from normal is 4.5°C to 6.4°C
    • Severe Heat Wave: Departure from normal is >6.4°C

    (b) Based on Actual Maximum Temperature (for plains only)

    • Heat Wave: When actual maximum temperature ≥ 45°C
    • Severe Heat Wave: When actual maximum temperature ≥47°C

     

    Recent context: El Nino + heat waves

    • The last three years have been La Nina years, which has served as a precursor to 2023 likely being an El Nino
    • The El Nino is a complementary phenomenon in which warmer water spreads west-east across the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
    • As we eagerly await the likely birth of an El Nino this year, we have already had a heat wave occur over northwest India.
    • Heat waves tend to be confined to north and northwest India in El Nino years.

    Why do heat waves occur in the first place?

    • Heat waves are formed for one of two reasons: because warmer air is flowing in from elsewhere or because something is producing it locally.
    • Air is warmed locally when the air is warmed by higher land surface temperature or because the air sinking down from above is compressed along the way, producing hot air near the surface.

    How do different processes contribute to the formation of a heat wave?

    • The direction of air flowing in from the west-northwest, warming in the Middle East, and compression over mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan cause warm air to enter India.
    • The warming Arabian Sea also contributes to the warming trend.
    • Upper atmospheric westerly winds control near-surface winds, which rotate faster than the planet itself.
    • Additionally, the lapse rate, or the rate at which temperatures cool from surface to upper atmosphere, is declining due to global warming.

    Regional occurrences

    • The other factors that affect the formation of heat waves are the age of the air mass and how far it has traveled.
    • The north-northwestern heatwaves are typically formed with air masses that come from 800-1,600 km away and are around two days old.
    • Heat waves over peninsular India on the other hand arrive from the oceans, which are closer (around 200-400 km) and are barely a day old.
    • As a result, they are on average less intense.

  • Cooling Earth with Moon Dust

    moon

    The article introduces the idea of using Moon dust to cool the Earth and explores the feasibility and potential risks associated with the proposal.

    Moonlight cooling of Earth

    • The idea of using lunar dust to cool the Earth’s temperature is based on a natural phenomenon called “moonlight cooling.”
    • When the Moon’s surface reflects the sun’s rays, it cools down rapidly after sunset.
    • Scientists believe that a thin layer of lunar dust could be used to create a similar effect on the Earth’s surface.
    • The proposal suggests launching a spacecraft to the Moon to collect dust particles, which would then be transported to the Earth’s atmosphere and released.

    Feasibility of the move

    • This is not a new idea. In fact, it has been proposed before as a way to combat global warming, and several studies have been conducted to explore its feasibility.
    • One study published in the journal Earth’s Future estimated that the technique could reduce the Earth’s temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is a significant amount in the context of climate change.

    Risks and Drawbacks

    • Health concerns: The dust could harm the environment or respiratory health if it is not properly controlled.
    • Threats to aviation: The particles are abrasive and could damage aircraft engines or other machinery if they were to fall to the ground.
    • Feasibility and cost: Collecting enough dust to make a significant impact on the Earth’s temperature would require a significant investment of resources, including launching multiple spacecraft to the Moon.

    Frankenstein’s Monster Analogy

    • The article draws a comparison between the proposed use of moon dust and the story of Frankenstein’s monster, in which a scientist creates a monster that ultimately causes destruction and chaos.
    • The analogy suggests that the use of moon dust could have unintended consequences that are difficult to predict, and that such large-scale climate interventions should be approached with caution.

     

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  • Thwaites glacier at mercy of sea warmth increase

    thwaites

    The new research suggests that even low amounts of melting can potentially push Thwaites glacier further along the path toward eventual disappearance.

    Thwaites Glacier

    • Called the Thwaites Glacier, it is 120 km wide at its broadest, fast-moving, and melting fast over the years.
    • Because of its size (1.9 lakh square km), it contains enough water to raise the world sea level by more than half a meter.
    • Studies have found the amount of ice flowing out of it has nearly doubled over the past 30 years.
    • Thwaites’s melting already contributes 4% to global sea-level rise each year. It is estimated that it would collapse into the sea in 200-900 years.
    • Thwaites is important for Antarctica as it slows the ice behind it from freely flowing into the ocean. Because of the risk it faces — and poses — Thwaites is often called the Doomsday Glacier.

    How is Thwaites glacier melting?

    thwaites

    • Thwaites Glacier is melting due to a combination of warming ocean currents and a weakening of the ice shelf that acts as a barrier between the glacier and the ocean.
    • The cause of the melting is thought to be the influx of relatively warm bottom water drawn in from the wider ocean.
    • In the 1990s it was losing just over 10 billion tonnes of ice a year. Today, it’s more like 80 billion tonnes.

    Why is this glacier so important?

    • Huge size: Flowing off the west of the Antarctic continent, Thwaites is almost as big as Great Britain.   It is one of the largest and most important glaciers in Antarctica, as it acts as a gateway to a vast area of the continent.
    • Melting faster: It’s a majestic sight, with its buoyant front, or “ice shelf”, pushing far out to sea and kicking off huge icebergs. But satellite monitoring indicates this glacier is melting at an accelerating rate.
    • Seal level rise: Thwaites’ ice loss contributes approximately 4% to the annual rise in global sea-levels, with the potential to add 65cm in total should the whole glacier collapse.  Its melting could also destabilize the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet, leading to a further rise in sea levels.

     

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